on Jul 4, 18 •
by John Loughran •
with Comments Off on Renault Trucks unveils electric truck range

Renault Trucks is taking a comprehensive approach to the challenge of electromobility with the announcement of its second generation range of fully electric trucks. With models at weights from 3.1 to 26 tonnes Renault Trucks offers a wide range of solutions for operators providing last mile, urban distribution and...

Renault Trucks is taking a comprehensive approach to the challenge of electromobility with the announcement of its second generation range of fully electric trucks. With models at weights from 3.1 to 26 tonnes Renault Trucks offers a wide range of solutions for operators providing last mile, urban distribution and refuse collection services.

Over the past 10 years Renault has been working with commercial operators in a number of countries to prove the operational capability and commercial viability of a range of hybrid and fully electric vehicle technologies. Renault Trucks’ President, Bruno Blin explains, “Ten years ago we were the pioneers, promoting electric trucks to improve city air quality. Today we can offer a range of electric vehicles with proven performance and the experts in our network are ready to help our customers’ transition to electromobility.”

Renault Trucks is the first to offer such a wide choice of electric vehicles to operators, with the Master ZE to be available in September 2018 and added to next year with 16t D ZE and 26t D Wide ZE models. All offer zero tailpipe emissions of CO2 and other local pollutants, leaving Bruno Blin to be confident in Renault Trucks’ place in the electromobility market – “Ten years ago we were pioneers, today we are experts.”

Nigel Butler, Commercial Director for Renault Trucks in the UK and Ireland, has watched developments in electromobility with interest, “Our first hands-on experience with electric vehicles in the UK was during the London Olympics in 2012. We provided a hybrid electric 26t vehicle which delivered Coca-Cola to sites during the Games – it didn’t miss a beat then, or in a further four years’ operating in the capital. I am delighted that we will be expanding our range of electric vehicles next year.”

At a time when everyone in the transport sector needs to work to address air quality and noise challenges as well as reducing global CO2 emissions, availability of the Renault Trucks ZE range is particularly timely and will enable operators, national and local authorities to create robust plans to improve the urban air quality environment.

The latest technological advances have made electric trucks an economically viable alternative for hauliers, leading Renault Trucks to launch a complete ZE range.

However strict the regulations may be in urban zones, the vehicles in the Renault Trucks ZE operate seamlessly in compliance. They are the perfect solution to safeguard air quality and reduce congestion as they allow noise-free out-of-hours deliveries and emit neither local pollutants nor CO2.

Some prominent names in freight haulage have already opted for electromobility, with two such companies being XPO Logistics and Suez.

“At XPO, we have led by example as the transport industry becomes increasingly aware of the need for alternative power”, said Luis Gomez, managing director-transport, XPO Logistics Europe. “We commend our supplier Renault Trucks for investing in the development of electric vehicles that offer a practical way to achieve zero emissions*. Renault Trucks is shaping the future of commercial transport in an evolving regulatory environment.”

Edouard Hénaut, executive director local authorities services at Suez explains. “We are delighted to see a competitive new industrial solution arrive on the market and to be able to partner with Renault Trucks. This new electric truck offering will allow Suez to help its customers reduce their carbon footprint thanks to a zero-emission environmentally-friendly and silent refuse collection solution.”

The Renault Master ZE, which will be released in September 2018, is ideal for those last-mile deliveries and provides access to inner-city areas even those with strict traffic restrictions. The battery of this all-electric utility vehicle takes six hours to charge.

Its loading volume is the same as a conventional diesel Renault Master as the batteries are mounted under the front seats. The Master ZE range comes in six variants (four panel vans and two platform cabs) designed to meet all the requirements of professionals working in urban environments. Finally, to protect the driver, the load and keep city-dwellers safe, the Master ZE is fitted with a reversing camera, reversing radar system and wide-view mirror as standard features.

The specially designed 16-tonne version of the Renault Trucks D ZE is ideal for urban and temperature-controlled deliveries and the Renault Trucks D Wide ZE will come in a 26-tonne version for efficient refuse collection. Both models will be manufactured at the Renault Trucks plant in Blainville-sur-Orne, Normandy, France in the second half of 2019.

A medium-duty Renault Trucks ZE vehicle has an operating range of up to 300 km (190 mls) depending on usage and battery configuration. The battery pack is the most expensive item when buying an electric truck, but for Renault Trucks, there is no question of compromising on payload or cost-effectiveness, so different operating ranges will be available tailored to customers’ exact needs.

Thanks to rapid DC charging, the Renault Trucks D ZE and Renault Trucks D Wide ZE lithium-ion batteries can be fully charged in as little as one to two hours via the 150 kW Combo CCS connector. For overnight AC charging, the time to fully charge a 300-kWh battery is 12 hours. In this case, a three-phase 380V 32A industrial power socket is perfectly sufficient.

For maximum flexibility in terms of usage and bodywork, the Renault Trucks D ZE and Renault Trucks D Wide ZE are equipped with a power take-off and a standard mechanical interface.